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Leave it to Doug Griffiths to get me writing something nice about the Tories.

And on Christmas Eve of all days.

Consider it my present from me to them.

Little over a year ago, the MLA from Hardisty was the longshot candidate in the race to lead the Tories, but he brought a degree of thoughtfulness to the contest.

Perhaps we may be in better shape had he, or one of the other candidates, won, but I digress.

Griffiths, at 40, is already a veteran MLA, having served 10 years as MLA, and could be among the Tories’ straight shooters, at least when it comes to dealing with the province’s mayors over municipal funding. For that, he deserves credit, and was certainly warranted being on the Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s “nice” list.

There has been lots of talk about a new deal, and new cash, for cities, especially if places like Calgary and Edmonton are hit with new responsibilities under a proposed city charter.

On the matter, Griffiths has two strong points for Nenshi: You already get boatloads of cash, and taxes are a non-starter.

But some members of council don’t see the latter point as Griffiths does, with Brian Pincott suggesting everything is on the table.

Based on how Griffiths has handled the matter so far, his reply to aldermen would be the same as his reply to the mayor: You get enough money already. And, may I add, “Spend your existing money more wisely before coming to us hat in hand.”

So kudos to one Tory for walking the walk.

Unfortunately for Griffiths and the PCs, the Christmas praise doesn’t come without some lumps of coal.

Let’s be honest here, if they weren’t in the midst of the roughest ride in recent memory, and faced with cutting some of their own lofty promises, would we really be hearing such tough talk?

If the promise of not a surplus, or a balanced total budget, but that of a balanced operating budget wasn’t hanging in the balance, we may be hearing a more conciliatory tone from under the dome.

It would be nice to believe the fiscal conservative attitude being expressed from the boss of all things cities was related to his own personal fiscal conservative attitude.

He, after all, was one of the Stingy Seven, MLAs who blasted their own party, led by Ed Stelmach, over plans to dip into deficit.

But given the premier’s lofty spending last year, astronomical promises during the election and no sense that anyone was grasping fiscal realities until it was too late, well, I think there’d be a very different picture if we were in the black.

After all, look even at the last years of the Klein regime — record spending on top of wild surplus flurries of cash.

When Mayor Dave Bronconnier came calling, it was one of the easiest shakedowns on record.

And let’s not forget the fact that Redford and company aren’t exactly the most popular kids on the playground at the moment.

Anything seen as allowing centre-left politicians more access to your tax dollars would be one hard knock to live down.

It would be tough for the public to swallow a premier who campaigned on no tax hikes in the foreseeable future handing new tax powers to cities led by politicians who lack spending restraint. And, to be brutally honest, despite Griffiths saying all the right things, it is a little laughable to hear anyone at the provincial level talk about spending money wisely.

Record budget on top of record budget, coupled with billions in untenable election spending?

Tough-talking Tory, Doug Griffiths, earns pat on back

Leave it to Doug Griffiths to get me writing something nice about the Tories.

And on Christmas Eve of all days.

Consider it my present from me to them.

Little over a year ago, the MLA from Hardisty was the longshot candidate in the race to lead the Tories, but he brought a degree of thoughtfulness to the contest.

Perhaps we may be in better shape had he, or one of the other candidates, won, but I digress.

Griffiths, at 40, is already a veteran MLA, having served 10 years as MLA, and could be among the Tories’ straight shooters, at least when it comes to dealing with the province’s mayors over municipal funding. For that, he deserves credit, and was certainly warranted being on the Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s “nice” list.

There has been lots of talk about a new deal, and new cash, for cities, especially if places like Calgary and Edmonton are hit with new responsibilities under a proposed city charter.